COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL is looking at ways of improving links with the community and encouraging more people to come forward with their views....

COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL is looking at ways of improving links with the community and encouraging more people to come forward with their views.

A programme of research will be carried out to identify how people want to put their opinions across.

The work comes on the back of a survey conducted through Coventry Citizens' Panel last autumn.

Almost half of those quizzed said they would like to be more involved in council business, but many said they were unhappy with the way the council consulted people.

Cllr Phil Townshend, cabinet member for service performance, yesterday called for further work to be done to help the council improve its ratings, especially in the area of consultation.

He said: "It is heartening to see that 48 per cent of panel respondents would like to be more involved in council business and we welcome that.

"We will be looking at how we can take advantage of people's interest and involve them in the democracy of Coventry, perhaps through more public meetings, more surveys or more direct contact with individual councillors.

"We shall also be looking at how we can reassure people that council consultation is genuine and worthwhile, even if the result doesn't always please everyone."

The panel, which is made up of 3,400 people and is operated jointly by Coventry City Council, Coventry Health Authority and West Midlands Police, was asked a number of questions about how the council was faring on issues like public consultation, dealing with inquiries, providing information and making contact with the council.

Panel members who said they were unhappy with council consultation will be asked the reason for their dissatisfaction and the results reported to council-lors later this year.

The research showed 25 per cent of people making inquiries did not always get through to the right person first time. Action is being taken to improve this.